Thursday, August 27, 2015

361. Gaylord City Library, Gaylord, MN

As I mentioned in the post about Arlington, seeing kid-sized unlocked bikes outside the library tells me that for sure I am in a small town! And that this is a library where kids are welcomed.

The tree is the library motif.

Here's that tree again, in the lobby, where it conveys thanks to those who support the library. The sign reads "Thank you to the citizens of Gaylord and the State of Minnesota for supporting this project. Your giving creates more, inspires others and makes dreams come true."

Down the hall to the left are restrooms and two meeting rooms. One is the Multicultural Room, sponsored by AgStar. This room has two computers and appears to be set up for on-going programs. The other is a community meeting room, sponsored by Michael Foods. A list of regulations by the door includes this intriguing restriction: "No red, orange, or purple beverages."

In the picture above you can get a glimpse of framed pictures down the hall on the wall to the left. They represent this spreading tree in each of the four seasons; very nice.

On entering the children's area, I thought this looked familiar. Of course...when I talked to the librarian, I learned that the trees and figures are from a large chain bookstore that was closing in Mankato. The timing worked out for Gaylord to get the makings of a very appealing story corner for their new library.

Here's another view of the children's area. I believe it's the sign above Frog's (or Toad's) head that says, "Please help us keep the children's area neat for everyone to enjoy by putting away puzzles, toys, and books with your kids before leaving the library. Thank you!" One shelf in this area, to the left in this picture if memory serves, holds "Picture Book DVDs." A cursory look led me to think that the collection truly is picture-book related, as opposed to TV cartoon series.

There are eight computers for patron use. A teen area has a tall "soda fountain" type table and chairs, plus a couple of easy chairs. Nearby are the junior non-fiction books (there seemed to be a lot), reference books, DVDs and other media.

In a back corner, adults have a cozy seating area with a corner fireplace. I wanted to take a picture, but (happily/sadly) a couple of adults were settled in to read the papers. And I don't take pictures with people except under very special circumstances. Nearby are the stacks of adult fiction and non-fiction. A wall display features New Adult Non-fiction, Fiction, and Christian Fiction. A chess board is set up, ready to go.

Assorted tables and chairs are available throughout the library. There is a Minnesota Collection with both old and new books. Spanish books are available, and a sign suggests that you "Check out our new movies in Spanish." One table held several copies of "The Maze Runner," included the audio book. A list nearby shows that this is the book club selection for August.

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